Raith Rovers 5 Dunfermline 1
Tuesday, 30th Mar 2021Scottish Championship: three changes as Henderson, McInroy and Banks start. Regan Hendry (17) 1-0: Kevin O’Hara (21) 1-1: Lewis Vaughan (31) 2-1: Lewis Vaughan (40) 3-1: Jamie Gullan (47) 4-1: Jamie Gullan (77) 5-1:
Raith Rovers moved to within ten points of Hearts in the Scottish Championship and moved six clear of Dunfermline with a resounding Fife derby victory.
There is always plenty to play for in Fife Derbies, there have been several famous ones and this meeting would be no different, extremely important for both teams playoff hopes.
There were three changes to the Dunfermline starting eleven, Iain Wilson and Dom Thomas dropped to the bench and Paul Watson was missing injured. Into their places came Kerr McInroy, Scott Banks and Ewan Henderson for his Dunfermline debut.
Raith Rovers made five changes from the side that defeated Morton on Saturday. Out went Dan Armstrong, Dylan Tait, Adam King: Manny Duku and Gozie Ugwu with John McGlynn bringing in Lewis Vaughan, Ross Matthews, Jamie Gullan, Brad Spencer and Kai Kennedy.
There was a marked improvement in the weather and it was a perfect night for football. Unfortunately due to Covid restrictions all the fans were at home watching the match as it was broadcast live on the BBC Scotland channel. The Dunfermline team emerged from below the Penman Family Stand with the sun creating vision problems from the main stand.
The Raith boss, John McGlynn had asked his men to impose themselves on the game much more than they did against Morton and it certainly turned out that way after they kicked off defending the goal at the McDermid Stand end. They brought the first save of the night out of Owain Fôn Williams when Kai Kennedy’s sixth minute shot from 25 yards out was tipped around his right hand post.
Two corners from the left were delivered by Vaughan, McInroy cleared the first and the defence kept the second out as well.
Dunfermline’s first opportunity came from a 12th minute corner. Fraser Murray’s burst of speed down the left earned the setpiece but when he delivered the corner Matthew’s was first to it and cleared. Back at the other end Euan Murray made a brave clearance right in front of goal and then Jamie Gullan swung a shot narrowly outside the right post.
Kevin O’Hara forced Frankie Musonda into conceding a corner on the right but the home side easily defended Banks’ cross. Then in 17 minutes Raith made the breakthrough. It was a really good pass from Brad Spencer that played Regan HENDRY into the box and he cooly stuck the chance away inside the right post. 1-0
There was a shaky moment for the home side after keeper Jamie Macdonald came out for a long Edwards ball. O’Hara pressed the keeper and his shot hit off the keeper’s chest to win a throw in on the right. Comrie picked out Banks and his cross was headed in at the near post by O’HARA. 1-1
A second Rovers goal would come in 31 minutes. Kieran MacDonald’s first attempt to cross from the left was blocked by Fraser Murray but from the throw in the Rovers left back was able to get in another low cross and this time VAUGHAN swept that in for 2-1.
Mayo stopped a dangerous Gullan shot as the home side continued to enjoy possession in the Pars half. Then in 40 minutes after Mayo had checked VAUGHAN on the left side 25 yards out, the Rovers no.10 netted from the free kick. The ball finding the far side of the Dunfermline goal. 3-1
At the break the stats showed 58% possession for Raith, seven shots to Dunfermline’s two and importantly three Rovers goals and only one Pars.
Half time: Raith Rovers 3 Dunfermline 1
Two changes were made by Stevie Crawford at half time, Iain Wilson and Lewis McCann taking over from Kerr McInroy and Scott Banks. O’Hara got a shot in within 40 seconds but unfortunately it was Raith who found the net within the first two minutes of the half. On loan Hibee Jamie GULLAN squeezed the ball in at the right post from 15 yards out. 4-1
Raith Rovers first substitution of the evening was former Par, Dan Armstrong who came on for Kieran Macdonald in 56 minutes. On the hour there was a promising move when O’Hara sent Henderson in on goal from the left side. The Celtic man chose a cross and narrowly missed finding Wighton at the far post. That was the on loan players final involvement as Declan McManus was then introduced in his place.
Next O’Hara and McCann combined on the left side but when the 19 year old challenged for the ball in the box he fouled his opponent and Raith survived. The same two players linked again and this time O’Hara delivered the cross towards his strikers but the defence cleared.
Then in 68 minutes McManus pinged a cross from the left to Comrie on the right side of the box, he sent the ball back across goal and Wighton’s effort was deflected behind for a corner.
The Rovers had been quietened for a spell when Dylan Tait replaced Kai Kennedy in 70 minutes. The sub was quickly involved combining with Hendry on the right to create a dangerous cross that happily the Pars were able to clear.
There was a Wighton, O’Hara, Wighton interchange that ended with the on loan Jambo shooting wide but then the Kirkcaldy side hit on the break with GULLAN netting their fifth!
Edwards cut out a Tait attempt for a 90th minute sixth but by this time it was clear that goal difference would see the Pars drop out of the playoff places below Inverness Caley Thistle who move into fourth.
The six remaining league games now become hugely important and there is little scope for slipping up as the competition for play off places intensifies.
RAITH ROVERS: Jamie Macdonald: Reghan Tumilty, Frankie Musonda, Kyle Benedictus (c), Kieran Macdonald (Dan Armstrong 56): Jamie Gullan, Regan Hendry, Ross Matthews, Brad Spencer, Kai Kennedy (Dylan Tait 70), Lewis Vaughan (Manny Duku 80).SUBS NOT USED: Adam King, Gozie Ugwu, Timmy Abraham, Robbie Thomson (GK)
SCORERS: Hendry (17), Vaughan (31, 40), Gullan (47, 77)
YELLOW CARD: Vaughan (79)
DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Lewis Mayo, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Scott Banks (Lewis McCann HT), Ewan Henderson (Declan McManus 60), Kerr McInroy (Iain Wilson HT), Fraser Murray: Kevin O’Hara, Craig Wighton.
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Paul Allan, Dom Thomas, Cammy Gill (GK)
SCORERS: O’Hara (21)
YELLOW CARD: O’Hara (35), Comrie (58), Mayo (69), Edwards (71), McCann (78), E Murray (79)
REFEREE: Euan Anderson
WEATHER: Fine 15°C
ATTENDANCE
NEXT MATCH: Scottish Championship: (home) v Hearts, Saturday 3rd April 2021, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park behind closed doors.
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Preview Raith Rovers
Tuesday, 30th Mar 2021Scottish Championship: (away) v Raith Rovers, Tuesday 30th March 2021, kick off 7.05pm at Stark`s Park. Live on the BBC Scotland channel
After contrasting results on Saturday, Raith Rovers take on Dunfermline occupying second place in the Championship, three points better off than their West Fife opponents who have played one game less. With six teams now separated by just three points the competition for play off places has rarely been so tight. Stevie Crawford’s Dunfermline team knows that every point is going to be important and Tuesday night’s derby is a big opportunity to draw level with John McGlynn’s men.
This will be the 51st league visit to Starks Park where Dunfermline hold the upper hand with 19 wins to Raith’s 15 with 16 drawn.
Milestones v Raith Rovers (away)
Last League Victory | 02/01/17 | 2-0 | Championship
Last League Defeat | 20/08/16 | 0-2 | Championship
Best League Victory | 29/10/94 | 5-2 | Div One (old)
Worst League Defeat | 01/01/83 | 0-6 | Div One (old)
Last Goalless Draw | 08/09/81 | 0-0 | Division One
First League Meeting | 24/03/28 | 1-5 | Div One (old)
In the last dozen league fixtures the Pars have won six of them, Raith three and three have ended all square.
Last Twelve Meetings
03/02/21 | H | Dunfermline 4 Raith Rovers 1 | W | Championship
05/12/20 | A | Raith Rovers 2 Dunfermline 2 | D | Championship
19/01/19 | A | Raith Rovers 3 Dunfermline 0 | L | Scottish Cup
08/04/17 | H | Dunfermline 1 Raith Rovers 0| W | Championship
02/01/17 | A | Raith Rovers 0 Dunfermline 2 | W | Championship
05/12/16 | H | Dunfermline 0 Raith Rovers 0 | D | Championship
20/08/16 | A | Raith Rovers 2 Dunfermline 0 | L | Championship
05/08/14 | H | Dunfermline 1 Raith Rovers 0 | W | Challenge Cup
20/08/13 | H | Dunfermline 0 Raith Rovers 2 | L | Challenge Cup
16/03/13 | A | Raith Rovers 1 Dunfermline 1 | D | Division One
02/01/13 | H | Dunfermline 1 Raith Rovers 0 | W | Division One
17/11/12 | A | Raith Rovers 1 Dunfermline 3 | W | Division One
Last Time at Stark’s Park
Saturday 5th December 2021, Scottish Championship
Raith Rovers 2 Dunfermline 2
Following Raith Rovers promotion back out of League One, this was the first league match between the teams since April 2017.
The Rovers opened the scoring in 27th minute from a Dan Armstrong free kick 35 yards out on the right that picked out Manny DUKU at the far post. Fôn Williams parried the ball but the big Dutchman netted from close in. 1-0
Fôn Williams beat away a 63rd minute shot from Ross Matthews but two corners followed and from the second sent in by Ross from the right, Duku met it but the ball was among beyond the right upright until MUSONDA headed home to make it 2-0.
Kevin O’Hara replaced Kerr McInroy before in 72 minutes McManus glanced an Edwards cross wide right. A minute later McManus payed a great ball to Fraser MURRAY who found himself in space on the left, he cut inside Tumilty and finished low into the bottom right from 18 yards. 2-1
The visitors looked a side reinvented and they hit another just two minutes later when with a good pass in from the right side, Dow teed up McMANUS for a special finish that gave the keeper no chance. 2-2. Just imagine what it would have been like in front of a stand full of Pars!
RAITH ROVERS: Jamie Macdonald: Reghan Tumilty, Kyle Benedictus, Frankie Musonda, Kieran Macdonald, Daniel Armstrong, Ross Matthews, Dylan Tait, Ethan Ross (Brad Spencer 75), Regan Hendry, Manny Duku (Lars Lokotsch 84).
SUBS NOT USED: Fernandy Meney, Gozie Ugwu, Quinn Coulson, Luke Mahady, Robbie Thomson (GK).
DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Lewis Mayo (Aaron Comrie 57), Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Ian Wilson (Fraser Murray 58): Ryan Dow, Kerr McInroy (Kevin O’Hara 69), Dom Thomas: Kyle Turner: Declan McManus
SUBS NOT USED: Matty Bowman, Lewis McCann, Miller Fenton, Cammy Gill (GK)
Recent Form
Dunfermline have won two and drawn one of their last six. Away from home they are seeking their first away win since 24th October and have managed just that one victory at Alloa in ten league games on the road.
Christmas Raith Rovers went on a rollercoaster recording four defeats immediately after four wins. In their last six matches they have won two, drawn three and lost at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. They are seeking just their second back to back league wins of the season.
DUNFERMLINE
Dundee (A) L 2-3
Morton (A) D 0-0
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) L 0-1
Morton (H) W 1-0
Queen of the South (A) L 0-1
Alloa Athletic (H) W 2-1
RAITH ROVERS
Morton (H) W 1-0
Stirling Albion (A) W 2-0
Ayr United (A) D 1-1
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) L 0-1
Inverness Caley Thistle (A) D 0-0
Ayr United (H) D 0-0
Current League Stats
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 4th
League Points: 30
Goal Difference: +6
League Record: P20 W8 D6 L6 GF29 GA23
Last Six Match Form: WLWLDL
RAITH ROVERS
League Position: 2nd
League Points: 33
Goal Difference: +8
League Record: P21 W9 D6 L5 GF34 GA26
Last Six Match Form: DDLDWW
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Dundee): Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson (Ewan Henderson 66), Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Fraser Murray, Lewis Mayo, Iain Wilson, Dom Thomas (Scott Banks 70): Kevin O’Hara (Declan McManus 70), Craig Wighton.
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Lewis McCann, Kerr McInroy, Cammy Gill (GK)
RAITH ROVERS (v Morton): Jamie Macdonald: Reghan Tumilty, Frankie Musonda, Kyle Benedictus, Kieran Macdonald: Daniel Armstrong (Lewis Vaughan 66), Regan Hendry, Dylan Tait, Adam King (Ross Matthews 70): Manny Duku, Gozie Ugwu (Jamie Gullan 66)
SUBS NOT USED: Timmy Abraham, Brad Spencer, Kai Kennedy, Robbie Thomson (GK)
Referee will be Euan Anderson.
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